The Kid who polish the shoes…(True Story)

These are the true lines….

I finally managed to get some time off from my office and decided to spend it in a garden near my home. It was 5 pm in the evening, the day was hot, however the weather changed all of a sudden, a cool breeze…filled with the scent of beautiful flowers was blowing….

Spending some time in garden among flowers, green foliage & beautiful kids make me feel good. I used to visit this garden frequently but could not manage to be here for last few months.

A little kid of eight years or so, holding a small sack, caught my eyes. He was going from person to person offering some edibles (This is what I thought at first), but later I realized that he was a “shoe polishing” kid – many of whom we see at busy places who used to polish the shoes of and earn their livelihood.

The worst thing was that every kid around me was happy…was enjoying every moment in the garden, but this little kid appeared to be very sad – one reason can be a tough day he might have faced.

It was getting cold and I could not stop shivering but I kept on observing that little kid and soon noticed that he was not well, he was coughing severely and was in deep pain as it was getting colder and he was wearing a light dress.

The kid reached a young guy, who was sitting alone on a bench few feet away from me. That guy was kind enough to offer him a seat next to him. Tumara naam kia hay? (What’s your name?) ,he asked the kid. “Azam saab” was the reply he got. I could hear their discussion as they were close enough. The little guy told him that he used to spend the evening in the park as he can find some people who want their shoes to be polished and he can earn some bucks as well.

The kid asked him if he want his shoes to be polished. “Saaab ji kia aap ko joota polish kerwana hay?( Sir, would you like your shoes to be polished?)” Nahi bahi mujhe nahi kerwana” (No, I don’t want to) was the reply he got from that guy and I can hear the kid’s cough was more perilous “Kia hooha tum theek tou ho”?(what happened ? are u all right” the guy was interested in knowing more about that kid “ji saab muhe bukhar hay aur khansi be hay magar mujhe kaam kerna hay takay kouch kama ker ghar k liye kouch khanay peenay ki cheese lay ja sakon” ( “Sir, I got temperature and cough but I have to work to earn some money so that I can take some thing to eat back my home” ) was the sad and shivering reply he got.

Soon that guy stood up and asked that kid to come along with him; I saw a resistance in the eyes and body movements of the kid, as if he was not willing to go with him. I have heard many stories of kidnapping the kids, which were later on transferred into beggars with their hand or other body parts cut off. Therefore, I decided to follow them…as the kid agreed to go with him.

They reached a market near by and entered a pharmacy nearby. I did the same and I saw that the guy asked for some medicines to cure temperature and cough and handed over to kid, telling him how and when to take them. They came out of pharmacy and that guy gave some money to that little kid saying not to waste this and to go straight to his home and have some rest and each of them went away in the opposite direction

.I was shocked and ashamed at the same time, shocked at the kind and affectionate behavior of that guy and ashamed of what I had been thinking of him.

If each of us start doing little act of kindness like this, I am sure we can change this world. There will be no kid left deprived of food or medicine….I wish each of us including me can be as great as that guy was…..